UW-Madison School of Education - Alumni News

School of Education Alumni News

We like to both share what our alumni are up to and share information that may be of interest to our alumni. Please use our online form to send in your news for posting here, in our other alumni publications, and on our "For Alumni" website.

UW-Madison alumnus Fernando Sanchez was recently hired as an assistant professor of English in professional writing at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. Sanchez received his master’s degree from the School of Education's Department of Counseling Psychology in 2006. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in English from Purdue University in 2016.

UW-Madison’s Nicole Bowman-Farrell will be taking part in two sessions at the National Indian Education Association's Conference. Bowman-Farrell will be presenting ​at a pre-convention workshop called, “Utilizing a Tri-Lateral Model Approach to Revitalize Tribal Education Systems.” She also will be taking part in an in-convention session titled, “Asserting Sovereignty & Building Tribal Nations Using the Tri-Lateral Indian Education Policy Model.”

UW-Madison alumna and Michigan State University Professor Patricia Edwards is the author of a new book titled, “New Ways to Engage Parents: Strategies and Tools for Teachers and Leaders, K-12.” Edwards received her Ph.D. from the School of Education’s No. 1-ranked Department of Curriculum and Instruction in 1979. UW-Madison’s Catherine Compton-Lilly, a faculty member with the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, penned the foreword for Edwards’ book.

UW-Madison alumnus Tim Berto was recently chosen by the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) as a member of its 2016 cohort of Teaching Fellows. Berto, who is committed to teaching chemistry to high school students, is receiving his master’s degree in secondary science education from the School of Education’s No. 1-ranked Department of Curriculum and Instruction. This fall, Berto will begin his first year of teaching at Middleton (Wis.) High School.

UW-Madison alumnus Gerardo Mancilla is joining Edgewood College's School of Education as the new director of Education Administration. Mancilla will also be joining Edgewood’s School of Education as a faculty member, announced Timothy D. Slekar, dean of Edgewood's School of Education. Mancilla earned his Ph.D. from UW-Madison's No. 1-ranked Department of Curriculum and Instruction in 2015, and also received a master's degree in multicultural education from UW-Madison.

UW-Madison alumnus Thompson Brandt is the author of a book titled, “The Influence of Don R. Marcouiller,” published by Bookstand. Marcouiller was director of the UW marching band in the early 1950s, and from 1956 to 1987 was director of bands at Drake University. Brandt earned a master’s degree (1985) in educational administration and Ph.D. (1985) from the School of Education’s No. 1-ranked Department of Curriculum and Instruction, with an emphasis in music education.

UW-Madison alumnus Mark Paige is the author of a new book titled, “Building a Better Teacher: Understanding Value-Added Models in the Law of Teacher Evaluation.” Paige earned a master’s (2006) and Ph.D. (2011) from the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, and also graduated from the university’s Law School in 2007. Paige is a professor of public policy at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. He has represented school districts in a variety of education law matters in various state and federal jurisdictions, including the New Hampshire Supreme Court.

UW-Madison alumna Dana Morris-Jones is the author of a recently released book titled, “The Power of Difference: From Conflict to Collaboration in Five Steps.” Morris-Jones earned her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the School of Education in 1978. She says she is convinced that human beings have the capability to resolve their differences constructively, and that our well being depends on it. Her background in counseling psychology, extensive training in group dynamics and organizational behavior, certification as a mediator, and decades of consulting to organizations, has contributed to that belief.

Madison's Isthmus newspaper recently posted a report about seated ballet classes being offered by J Matzner, a UW-Madison alumna who teaches at the Kehl School of Dance. Matzner is teaching people with mobility challenges to explore the beauty of ballet. The classes started in January 2014 and are believed to be the first of their kind in the area. Matzner earned an undergraduate degree from the School of Education’s Dance Department in May 2013.

The latest edition of Learning Connections, a news magazine from the UW-Madison School of Education, is now available online. The Summer 2016 issue is filled with exciting news about School of Education faculty, staff, students and alumni, and features a cover story about the Morgridge Center for Public Service, which is celebrating 20 years of bridging campus and community.

UW-Madison alumna Susan Gallagher-Lepak was named to the position of founding Dean of UW‑Green Bay’s College of Health, Education and Social Welfare, the university announced on June 27. Gallagher-Lepak is the second dean to be appointed in UW-Green Bay’s new four-college model, the first major restructuring of academic administration at the university in two decades. She earned her Ph.D. in rehabilitation psychology from UW-Madison’s School of Education in 1996.

UW-Madison's Jacob Meyer is the lead author of a new paper examining the influence of exercise on depression. The report was published online in the journal Behavior Therapy. Results from this study could encourage those suffering from depression to consider light exercise as a useful symptom self-management tool. Meyer is an alumnus of the School of Education’s Department of Kinesiology, where he earned a Ph.D. in 2015. He currently works as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and as an Instructor in the Department of Kinesiology.

Li Chiao-Ping Dance (LCPD) will produce its 13th Summer Dance Camp and Intensive Final Showcase on Saturday, June 25 at 6 p.m. UW-Madison's Li Chiao-Ping is a Vilas Research Professor with the School of Education's Dance Department and is the choreographer/director of the dance company. This annual show will take place at the Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space in UW-Madison’s Lathrop Hall (1050 University Ave). One UW-Madison and LCPD alumna who is returning to perform at this event is Nicole Roerick.

UW-Madison alumnus Ken Bates presented at the at the first International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) Research Symposium held at Kent State University on May 23-24. Bates’ presentation was titled, "College students' perspective on their college preparation from the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program." Bates, who is superintendent of the School District of Green Lake, Wisconsin, received his Ph.D. from the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis this spring.

UW-Madison alumnus Ben Westphal was selected as a 2016-17 Woodrow Wilson Wisconsin MBA Fellow in Education Leadership. This fellowship program was launched in 2014 in partnership with the Milwaukee School of Engineering to develop a new model in education leader preparation, equipping graduates to head changing 21st century schools across the state. Westphal received his bachelor’s degree in secondary education-biology from the School of Education in 1996. He is currently a science teacher, science department chair, and instructional coach at Brookfield (Wisconsin) East High School.

UW-Madison's Tim McGuine agrees that concussions are an important topic. But this alumnus of the Athletic Training Program adds, "concussions are sucking up all the air in the room when it comes to discussions about sports injuries -– and we need to think about the well-being of the entire student-athlete.” It’s this perspective of identifying and understanding the range of risk factors, preventative measures and outcomes for sports injuries that McGuine brings to his work with UW-Madison’s Athletic Training Program, which is housed within the School of Education’s Department of Kinesiology.

UW-Madison alumna Turina Bakken will become the next provost of Madison Area Technical College, it was recently announced. Bakken, who earned her Ph.D. from the School of Education's Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in 2014, will begin her new position July 1. Bakken is currently vice provost of Madison College and will be replacing Terrance Webb, who is retiring after 17 years with the college.

UW-Madison alumna Maureen Gillette was named the new dean of Seton Hall University’s College of Education and Human Services earlier this month. Gillette, who has served as the dean of the College of Education at Northeastern Illinois University since 2005, will begin her new post on Aug. 1. Gillette earned her Ph.D. from the School of Education’s No. 1-ranked Department of Curriculum and Instruction in 1990, with a minor in educational administration from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis.

UW-Madison alumnus Robert Nolting was named the High School Principal of the Year in Illinois. He is principal of Victor J. Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Illinois. Nolting received this honor from Horace Mann and the Illinois Principals Association (IPA) earlier this year. He will be recognized at the IPA conference in October 2016. Nolting received his master’s degree from the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in 2002. He will also represent Illinois in the National Principal of the Year recognition program.

UW-Madison alumna Anne Corlett has completed a painting in all 50 states and now will be showcasing those works at the Saugatuck (Michigan) Center for the Arts. These oil paintings, which will be on display June 10 through Aug. 20, were created over a three-year stretch during Corlett’s adventurous and ambitious “Easel on Down the Road” project. Corlett received her bachelor’s degree from the School of Education’s Art Department in 1982.